War Pawn
by ZiraUzu
Summary: "You are different, you have power, and you will be punished . . ." He was different and could do things that others could not, so he was locked away. Rebel, show your power, and take control. Or run, hide and pray they don't find you. The war has begun. So what will you do . . . ? /NaLu/


**Title:** War Pawn

**Genre: **Adventure/Fantasy

**Character Focus:** Natsu

**Couple: **NaLu, maybe more in the future.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **OOC

**Inspiration: **You Can't Take Me by Bryan Adams

**POV: **Natsu, unless stated otherwise, or there is an obvious change in who is telling the story.

**World: **AU

**Summary:** _"You are different, you have power, and you will be punished . . ."_ He was different and could do things that others could not, so he was locked away. Rebel, show your power, and take control. Or run, hide and pray they don't find you. The war has begun. So what will you do . . . ? /NaLu/

**War Pawn: Chapter 1**

_ZiraUzu_

(March 17, 2014)

~X~

_He's a threat. Find him. Dispose of him; he will ruin everything I've worked for._

Those words had been a chain reaction. Once said they started something, something that could not be stopped nor delayed and it brought more destruction to this world that good. You hear things and you see things, children have seen them and so have the old…they shouldn't have. Nobody should have to see. Nobody should see what _I _have seen.

_Do you plan to kill him? He could be useful._

Destruction. Death. These things are inevitable, someday they will come. It all depends on when.

_Why would I not? Useful you say? Bah, only if you can catch him, put a chain on him and drown him in shackles. It's a task easier said than done._

I've developed the habit of calling these words 'The Double D's'. Name's retarded. I know. But it's something simple, easy to remember and it makes it easier to explain what's going on in this hell hole. People know. They understand they won't be seeing someone again when the phrase it brought up.

_Not impossible though._

They don't question. Instead they fall to their knees; some cry and some turn their faces towards the sky, as if they're searching the heavens for their loved one. And me, I leave them to their grieving; it's all I can do.

_Fine then, have it your way. Find him and lock him away. He may be a valuable pawn in this game called war._

I've wasted a childhood on hoping, praying that something, anything, was going to reach down and pluck me from this hell. Looking back on it I don't wonder if my hoping was a waste, I know it was.

Then again, who am I to talk?

_Send them out. His life is mine…_

I caused this.

~X~

"Being different is good, being different makes you unique."

I shook my head, how naïve. I watched from my dark corner in the rain drenched alley. Squatting on my haunches, I listened to the young mother as she pulled her son down the barren street, trying to get him out of the rain. She was smiling at him, as only a mother can do as she whispered the comforting words, but I could see the lie in her eyes.

She knew, just as I did that being different in this world was not a blessing but a curse. But then again what else could she have said?

The young boy smiled; believing the fib, or pretending too. Most people think children are stupid, that they don't understand half the things that adults are saying. They are not, they understand, but they're smart enough to pretend they don't. This boy was smart.

I stood and backed into the alleyway behind me, only turning to go when the mother and her child disappeared into a small, shabby shop that was still in business. Most shops that were still open didn't have merchandise to sell, save the old bakery and occasionally the coal mine when there was work. Now shops were refugees, a place for people to stay when traveling, when the weather turned sour or when the Collectors came through.

My bare feet were silent against the stone of the deserted road. Once Magnolia had been a place of life, families lived here, business flourished, it was happy. Now it was dead, run down, practically a ghost town. The people here never stayed for long, only stopping in for a night or to gather what little supplies the city had left to offer. Even the grand Kardia Cathedral, that once stood tall and proud was now a pile of rubble and forgotten walls.

Fairy Tail was in no better shape.

I had never actually seen the guild building until now. When I was younger it was legendary and was said to be a getaway for any mage that wanted to make a living through magic. Now it was gone, burnt to the ground and turned to rubble like the old cathedral. Its purpose long gone now that there wasn't a mage left in the world.

I wasn't sure how long I stood there, staring at the remains. It must have been some time, for when I came to my senses the rain had soaked through my travel cloak, causing the wet material to stick to my skin. My feet had gone numb, but that didn't surprise me, I wasn't sure when the last time I wore shoes was, so my feet where always cold. I could hear the sound of approaching horses through the rain, their hooves loud against the stone.

I stepped off the street and into the alley just as the riders brought their horses to a stop in front of Fairy Tail. The steeds they rode were ebony, darker than the night sky with eyes the color of dried blood. Most people thought the horses were mutated, that their eyes had changed because the Collectors actually did feed them blood. Their coats, which had once been bright, according to the people, were stained with the death that the Collectors left behind when they rode away. The Collectors wore black as well. The color of the armor was a twin to their steeds' coats and laced with red and dark gold designs. The symbol of the Collectors stood out on their backs, two swords crossed with a snake circling around them as it bit into a broken crown.

I shifted backwards, disappearing farther into the darkness of the alley as I watched the Collectors. They were shouting at each other, barking orders and then shooting them down. One Collector barked louder than the others, causing silence among the rest. It sounded female, which was rare but not unheard of, she was pointing back the way I had come.

I didn't wait around to see what would happen next. While they were distracted, I slipped down the alleyway, coming out at the edge of the city on the other side. Then I disappeared into the forest.

xXx

I headed south, towards Hargeon the port city.

And sadly, I had to travel by carriage.

I hated carriages, the sway and bounce made me feel sick, but I had to ride one in order to make it to Hargeon, as well as throw off the trail of any Collectors that may have noticed my presence in Magnolia. I was surprisingly glad that I hadn't eaten anything in almost a day, for my stomach was doing flip flops in my gut and heaving nothing was better than heaving up a meal that wouldn't soon be replaced.

"You okay back there, son?" The carriage driver was a nice old man in his mid seventies. Though at the moment, I was curious if he was actually concerned about me or his cargo of cabbages, corn and carrots.

"F-fine, I'm fine." I managed to spit out before I had to cover my mouth.

"Well just hold on, we'll be in Hargeon in a minute or two."

"C-can you s-see the city from here?"

"Sure can."

"Then I'll take my leave." My stomach jolted as the carriage came to a sudden halt. I took my time crawling out of the back, slowly lowering myself to the ground, which was damp from the recent rain.

"You sure you're ok, son?" The old man had climbed down from his place behind the horses and was now leaning over me, concern present in his features. I nodded and handed the man a gold piece for his trouble. He gazed at it, his eyes wide for a moment before he tipped his hat to me and boarded the carriage. I had no doubt he was wondering how I had gotten my hands on a gold piece. They weren't easy to come by nowadays.

As the carriage disappeared down the hill I could see Hargeon in the distance, and already I could see that it too was in sorry shape. I wondered how sorry.

xXx

It wasn't as bad as Magnolia, not nearly as bad, but it was still in poor form. The harbor had been closed, cutting off trade from the sea. Propaganda posters for war decorated every building. There were fewer refugees there and almost half of the shops still had business, even if it was slow.

There was a news bulletin next to the port and a small crowd had gathered around it, most likely reading the latest news on the war. As I passed by I noticed wanted posters on the board, curiosity spiked my interest and I joined the crowd just as it was beginning to disperse. Most of the posters were for the unwanted pickpocket; however one of the posters was for someone else: a rough on the run. I grabbed the poster from the board and shoved it in my pocket before heading into the center of the city.

Farther into the city I stumbled across a small marketplace. I reached into my pockets and pulled out the few coins that I had left, two gold, five silver, a half platinum dollar coin, and eleven copper pennies. Quickly I shoved the coins back into my pocket; it wasn't wise to leave money out for the naked eye to see.

I was making my way down the street, looking at the few products the market had when I saw her. Remember what I said about pickpockets and how they were unwanted? Now I could see why they had wanted posters for them in Hargeon. This one was skillful and moved with a sneaky grace that even I didn't possess and trust me; I was pretty sneaky when I wanted to be.

She walked by person after person, plucking their purses and wallets from their sides like it was as simple as breathing, each victim oblivious to her sticky fingers. Once again, I slipped back into the shadows of an alleyway; I was not about to be a victim of this pickpocket.

Then I noticed the symbol on her hand.

Curious. I inched my way back into the street, tailing her as she moved through the market. She moved like a dancer as she twisted and weaved across the street. Occasionally she would stop to hand a few coins to the younger children along the edge, patting their heads before she offered a smile and danced away again.

She wouldn't have noticed me if it hadn't been for the child.

The pickpocket had stopped in front of a young girl. Dirt was smeared across her cheeks and ratty dress, her hair was pulled into two pigtails and was caked with grease, indicating she had not had a bath in quite some time. The blonde smiled at the girl and folded a few coins into she small palm but when she stood to leave the child had pulled her back down. I watched as she fisted the blonde's shirt and pulled her close to whisper in her ear.

Brown eyes flicked to mine.

She turned back to the girl, whispering something into her small ear before pulling a small loaf of bread and folding that into the youngster's fingers as well.

Curiosity was what I saw when her brown orbs flashed back to mine. Curiosity, mixed with a slice of growing suspicion. She knew, she knew I had been following her.

I raised my head to wave and offered a smile, which she returned but hers was coy and guarded.

She bolted.

I swore as I hurried after her, knocking over pedestrians and stall venders as I fought to keep sight of her.

I had made a mistake. When I moved my arm my cloak had shifted, revealing the long sword I carried at my waist. I didn't actually know how to use a sword, I only carried it to ward off pickpockets and other unwanted company, but she didn't know that. Her brown eyes had landed onto the silvery weapon and widened, then she took off, weaving between the people of the market in order to escape.

She thought I was one of the disguised guards of Hargeon.

The disguised guards were a form of security that the city had developed in order to keep crime rates low when the economy went bad after the beginning of the war. Their main priority was to keep peace throughout the markets in a nonviolent manner, only carrying weapons for extreme occasions. However, there had been a few cases that had turned violent, which had ultimately earned the guards a sour reputation.

"Hey wait!" I yelled as I sprinted after her.

She was fast, I had trouble keeping up to her, and I would have lost her instantly if not for her blonde hair; which stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of dark haired people that walked around the market. She had run from guards before, her movements were quick and graceful as she slipped through the people. Then she ducked into the alleyways. I cursed and turned into the alley next to me.

Luck apparently was on my side today. And that's saying something, I'm never lucky. But as soon as I reached the end of the alley she came bowling into me. We hit the ground hard, or at least _I _hit the ground.

"Oww," The blonde moaned as she rubbed her head. It had smashed into my jaw during our collision, which had left the lower half of my face pulsing, but I didn't have the time to think about that now. Before she had a chance to recover I wrapped my arms around her waist and flipped my body so she was trapped between me and the ground.

The blonde's eyes flashed, she squeaked and thrashed her legs as she began to push against me. I could sense the fear coming off her, the confusion; she had never been caught before so she didn't know how to handle it. Then she started to scream.

I clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her cries.

"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you, understand?"

She nodded and I removed my hand.

"Get off me! Somebody hel—,"

I picked her up and hauled her over to the brick wall, pinning her between it and my body, I shoved a hand over her mouth again to keep her quiet. She was terrified; I could see the tears beginning to form in her chocolate orbs. I sighed and relaxed my hold a bit, "I'm not going to hurt you," I whispered again, "Just calm down and listen."

She nodded. Slowly I took my hand away from her mouth. The blonde breathed deeply and slowly, trying to catch her breath. "You scared the absolute shit out of me." She gasped a few times, "I've never run so hard in my life. I thought I was going to pee myself."

"Sorry about that."

"You should be," She glared at me and gave me a firm shove. "Back up would ya? Hmph, don't know why I was so scared, you don't even look like a Hargeon Collector." Gradually the blonde composed herself, her icy glare still aimed toward me. "So, what do you want, I don't have time for this."

"Your hand."

Her eyes flickered down quickly before returning to mine. "What about it?"

"That mark belongs to Fairy Tail?"

"No. No it doesn't." Then she was gone.

I blinked, surprised by how quickly she had disappeared. Well that was a waste of time. I sighed; deciding it was time to head to Crocus, I had been here long enough. Perhaps the capital was in better condition than Magnolia and Hargeon. I was pulling the hood of my travel cloak over my head and readjusting my sword when I noticed my scarf was gone.

"Damn little pickpocket."

xXx

Tracking's my strongest skill, but that doesn't mean I'm not able to do it. However, since it's not something I'm particularly good at it takes precious time and more concentration than a professional would have to use.

The rain returned as I followed the pickpocket through Hargeon. It was pouring and the drops pelted my wet scalp. I had followed the blonde all the way across the town until eventually she stopped at the edge of the city at a little tavern that sat in the far corner of the port. The sign that hung off the building said "Fairy Tavern". Not only was she a pickpocket, she was also a liar.

The tavern went silent when I slammed the doors open. A few of the females in the room squeaked and I heard more than one glass hit the floor. I saw the blonde at a table off to the left. When she spotted me her face went pale as she stood from her chair and set her beer on the table.

She swore under her breath.

"Give me back my scarf, dammit," I yelled as I made my way over to her. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell you don't."

"I do—."

"Lucky!" The blonde flinched as a booming voice came from the back of the tavern. I watched as a short, old man made his way over to us, followed by a young scarlet haired woman. He was angry. "Just who have you brought into our tavern?" He hissed.

"It's not my fault—,"

"Hahaha, so much for being 'Lucky' Lucy Heartphilia," Not far from where we stood a raven haired male sat at a table, "Maybe we should call you 'Unlucky' Lucy from now on. What kind of pickpocket can't shake a common traveler? Some skill you possess." Heartphilia, I had heard that name somewhere before.

"Shut up, Gray!"

He too had the mark of Fairy Tail. I noticed that the scarlet haired woman also had it when she stomped over to the raven haired male and smacked him on the back of the head. The old man was probably the same way, along with everybody else in the room. "You're all from Fairy Tail?"

The old man turned his gaze toward me. He looked tired, like the war had drained his energy long ago and he was fighting to continue on. There was power behind that gaze though; this old man wouldn't give up so easily.

"We are not." I turned my attention back to the blonde. Her eyes held a longing sadness and as I glanced around the room I could see she wasn't the only one. "We have no magic. Fairy Tail was a guild of mages; you need magic to be a mage. We are simply a support group of Fairy Tail that is against the war."

"But you all have the mark."

"You don't need magic to wear the mark." This time it was the raven haired male, Gray. "It's simply a symbol of support, nothing else."

"So nobody here is originally from Fairy Tail?"

"Master Makarov is," The blonde pointed to the short old man, "But he's helpless now, the Collectors took his magic years ago."

"I see." I turned to the blonde and held out my hand. "If you would be so kind, I would like my scarf so I may be on my way." Reluctantly the blonde, Lucky Lucy as they had called her, reached under the table and pulled my scarf from a tattered old bag. She handed it to me, her soft fingers brushing mine as she did so. I turned to leave.

"Just who are you boy?" It was the old man.

"Just a wanderer passing through," I stated. I'd only taken one step when a small voice suddenly spoke up.

"He's Natsu Dragneel."

A gasp passed through the tavern. My body went stiff as I glanced over at the girl who had spoken. It was a child, no older than twelve at least, she was small and her face was framed by dark blue hair that cascaded down her back. In her arms she held a small white cat and her eyes held intelligence well beyond her years.

I've mentioned it before and I'll say it again, children are not stupid. But that doesn't mean they always know when to keep their mouths shut. In my head I was begging her to remain quiet, pleading that she wouldn't say anything more. I should have known better. Begging never got you anywhere.

"You're the one the Collectors are looking for, the pawn to winning this war. You're the Dragon Slayer."

xXx

**Authors Note: Is it totally crazy for me to write a multi-chapter fic even though I almost never update any of my stories? Probably. Is it going to stop me? Nope, not at all. I'm excited; this is my first multi-chapter fic on fanfiction!**

**I know this story starts out really slow, or at least I think it starts really slow. And I know it might seem a little confusing now, but bear with me! There will be NaLu in this story, but it'll probably be a slowly developed love.**

**One last thing, I would just like to say that I am a **_**very slow**_** updater. I am going to be a freshman in college and do have a life, so I apologize if updates are slow, however I will do my best to make the wait worth it. I will try to update every month! Yes, I know it's such a long wait O.O but if I am able to find the time, new chapters will come earlier.**

**Please Review!**

**Thanks to everybody who took the time to read!**

**I apologize for any mistakes I may have made!**

**Love, ZiraUzu**


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